During storms Dundee usually whines, but he used to be alot worse. I just let him hop on the couch with me and sleep, and he's been doing alot better lately. I guess the only thing you really can do is just give your babies lots of love and reassure them.

Some may think I am wrong about how I handled my dogs with thunder and lighting but it worked for them. When it would thunder and lightning I would take the dogs outside with me on the porch and sit out there with them. When it would thunder and lightning they would usually run over to me and hide. I would just reassure them it was ok and I was there to keep them safe. It worked great as well as with fireworks our amusement park has throughout the summer. Both of my dogs are not afraid of anything but the vacuum cleaner.

Yep, Mine are afraid of the vaccume cleaner as well.. I try to reassure them, and I hold them & hug them only to find that when thunder rolls, they cry again. It will take time I guess. I feel sad that they are so afraid.

2 of my dogs are scared to death of thunder and lighting. I've tried everything I can't get them to even come out of the closet. I always know when a storm is comming cause i can't find 2 of my dogs. I live in Tampa so my poor babies hide most of the evening during the summer. I tried to whole sit on the pourch thing didn't work Storm actually broke her leash, ran and hide under my car. So I pretty much just let them hide in the closet anymore.

I have to respond to this cause I just laughed and laughed.......my dogs are the one who reasure(sp?) me when it comes to a storm.thunder and lightning have been a major phobia of mine since chilhood. Lady being the one who senses it the fastest will come and lay right in my lap.Killer is like oh yeah mommy hates that,will sit by me with his paws on my arm till it's over!!!!!! I sit there and take all the comfort they have to offer!!!!!!LOL doesn't that beat all!!!!! this just goes to show you your animals do tune in on what your feeling.it's a good thing they choose to comfort me otherwise we all would be huddled up together looking like a bunch of big babies!!!!! LOL

my golden actually jumped in the tub with me one time during a storm. We've tried everything with her and nothing seems to work. Someone told me that we should tie her up. ohmygod this does not work! Never had the heart to try it again. It does seem to help if we all go sit in the basement when there is a storm and keep her company down there.

the very first dog my parents owned was afraid of t-storms. my dad said he would sit in the basement by the bar and go shot for shot with the dog with scotch to calm him down. the second dog we had was also afraid of t-storms and he would hide in the bath tub. all their dogs since haven't been afraid . prinny was afraid of t-storms. she would get so frantic we would just give her ace ( a sedative ) and she'd sleep like a happy baby.

I have a friend who is a vet tech and has also taught the subject at the university level. She told me her brother's large breed (forgotten WHICH large breed) was terrified of any loud noise, garbagemen, motocycles...and absolutely petrified of storms. He used Butler's Doggie Anti-Anxiety Pheromones and they worked like a charm. After Danel came into our home, she found seperation something she could not handle (I had received her as a gift while I was on vacation so she went EVERYWHERE with me, then boom...she was all alone). SHe was so distraught that I gave the Butler's a try..I purchased the plug in, sort of like the plug in room freshners. Within 24 hours, TOTAL difference. No need to medicate her and once the 1st "stomizer" was empty, no need to replace it. It may or may not work, but as others have said, your reaction (just like iwth human children) will make a big difference in how your "4 legged children" react in most given situations.

My Shih Tzu and my Golden are both scared of thunder. I don't mind thunderstorms, so I don't believe they pick up any bad feelings from me. The Shih Tzu gets so worked up over thunder that she keeps shaking for an hour or so after the storm is over. The Golden settles down a lot quicker and does not get as scared as the little one. I try to reassure both dogs, especially the Shih Tzu, that it's OK, that all is well. Would I be better off ignoring the dogs when they are scared of thunder and not make a big deal of their anxiety?

I don't know Cloe I have heard that when a dog is scared of something telling them that it is OK and alright will actually teach them to be afaid. I heard this from a couple of trainers and this is also what they told us with my service dog. So I guess it works for them I don't know. It makes sence and it has worked for me. They said when a dog hears something just ask them in a happy calm voice. What is that? What did you hear? It really helps if these things happen around their mothers and their mothers don't get freak out. If you say it in a happy nice voice they should look at you and see that everything is fine. This is a graet time to have play time get out their favarot (sp) toy and play with them. If you ignor the storm and go on with fun things the dog or puppy especially the puppy should forget about the storm. Then when its over you can say see that wasn't so bad was it we are all still here. For the most part it probably won't know what you are saying, but it will know the tone of your voice is calm. It probably won't work for adults, because just like people they form their fears early in life and most of the time don't overcome them, but they could people do and some abused animals overcome some of their fears with time and patince (sp). With our puppies we have had two storms so I have left them outside for a short time with mom near by and the other dogs. It never seemed to bother them that it was storming out until the rain came and they started to get wet. Which by then I was bringing them in. Anyway the rest of what they said was when you tell them it OK and it's alright. You are telling them that it is alright to be afraid. That it is alright to bark at it. Stuff like that which makes sence if you think about it. They are barking at the mail man and you tell them it alright they think want is alright is the barking not that the guy is alright and isn't going to hurt me. Just some other ways to think about the subject. My first dog was afaid of storms and fireworks. In fact he would attack the fireworks if he saw them. They were letting them off in the middle of our street on day well I had him out for a walk. (I was in middle High School and never had him on a leash). Well he seen the fireworks and run right up to them and strated to attact them. He didn't get hurt and came right back to me when I called him, but things could have been wrose. Well when he was a puppy we did the samething you are doing. I babyed him. I got him into bed with me and told him everything was fine, he was a good dog, it was ok. And from hearing the trainers say what they said I understood that I may have caused Kelly's fear by praising him for it. I'm not saying that we shouldn't feel bad for them when they fear something. That would be cold, but we just need to be carefull at what words we use. Thats what the trainers tryed to get acrossed was watch you words. How is the dog going to interpert what you are saying?

agree with supermommy- if you fuss over them too much, they will think there is a reason to be scared and continue the behavior. I don't think you have to ignore them completely, though- I have a book whose author suggests just laughing, showing them you aren't scared and then distracting them by playing a game, etc.

My first shih tzu used to be petrified of thunder and lightening, she would dig the hard wood floors and try to get up high. she would never let anyone comfort her. once i found her on top of my clothes dryer. i was so afraid she would give herself a heart attack, i put her on clomicalm and that helped her tremedously. its not a tranquiler, just a calmer. you can also get some drops from the natural grocer and ther are other tablets from your vet that are available.